Back To Our Begining
by Cloying Sentimentality
Summary: [TAKARI] Time continuously ticks forward and pauses for no one. After two long years in France Kari finally comes back to Japan. However all things have changed, nothing is the same anymore. (story complete)
1. Default Chapter

Chapter One  
  
The sound of plastic wheels scraping heavily across carpet filled the air as eager bodies rushed and squeezed past one another, making their way towards the arrivals' gate. Near the back of the pack, a slim figure walked calmly as if not wanting to reach the outside world beyond the gate. The figure resembled a girl. One length of her long brown hair was draped lightly across her shoulders while the other length flowed smoothly across her back, ending at her waist. She also grew a fringe that covered her eyebrows and parts of her warm auburn eyes. Her hands were shaking but tightly grasping the handle of her luggage trolley, the figure walked ahead slowly.  
  
Finally, the wheels of the trolley stopped turning and stood still. The girl had already arrived at the gate. She stood for a brief moment, taking a deep breath before walking into the bright hall of the airport, illuminated by the rays of sunlight that shone through the huge glass windows enclosing the hall. The girl walked slowly past the crowd of people, scanning every single face desperate to see someone familiar. Not before long, the girl saw someone who brought a smile to her face. From among the crowd of eager faces she spotted a tall boy with hair that stood out from among all the people waiting at the hall. He had messy brown hair that stood up at least a few centimeters, if not more, from his scalp. On his face, a big, wide smile was visible.  
  
"Kari!" the boy shouted, before running up to the girl and embracing her with a warm hug.  
  
"Tai" Kari mumbled softly and tightly hugged her brother back.  
  
Kari had not felt this warm nor this happy since the day she left for France two years ago. All the nervousness she felt before had disappeared and was now replaced by the warmth given as a hug by her brother. A single tear leaked from her eye and slid slowly down her face, past her cheek, before finally falling out of sight. Embarrassed by her sudden rush of emotions, Kari released herself from the tight grip of her brother to wipe away the wet trail left behind by the fallen tear. Looking back up again, Kari noticed her parents standing silently in front of her, smiling gently. Both parents were trying very hard not to be too emotional in front of their children by maintaining their smiling faces. However, no longer able to hold the joy of seeing her child again Kari's mother gave in, as tears of happiness streamed from her eyes. Mrs. Kamiya opened up her arms signaling to Kari that she too would want a hug. Understanding the signal, Kari rushed to the warm embrace of her mother. Resting her head upon her mother's chest, she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her to hold her tightly. Then she felt the presence of another pair, this time she was sure that it belonged to her father. In between those arms Kari felt warm, but most of all safe. She felt that those arms could block all her troubles and problems. Kari felt a rush of different emotion come upon her; she closed her eyes and let everything out. Everything that she had kept bottled up inside her for two years exploded out as tears.  
  
Rays of sunlight quietly leaked through the window, from a small gap present where curtains failed to cover and slowly crept on Kari's face. Morning had come again. The sunlight seemed to be able to reach deep into Kari's soul, bringing the sleeping girl back to reality from her fantasy filled dreams. Woken up by these rays of intense light, Kari slowly sat up and gently rubbed her eyes with one hand, rubbing away the tiredness and hoping to give her sleepy eyes enough strength to open. The other hand made its way to the clock that sat silently on a small table near her bed. Still not fully awaken, Kari squinted as she looked at her clock, it was only seven. Kari wanted to crawl back into the warm world under her blankets and sleep for another few hours, as she had been exhausted by the long plane trip, but then decided that she'll spend her first day in Japan bright and early. Not wanting to be tempted into falling back to sleep, Kari reluctantly made her way out of bed and walked slowly to the window, guided by the light that had just woken her up. Kari pulled the curtains apart and gently pushed her window open. Immediately Kari felt bright rays of sunshine touch her skin, they seemed to penetrate deep inside of her body leaving a warm trail behind to mark the passage along which they have traveled. Still bathing in this pool of light, Kari felt a slight breeze hitting the side of her face, causing a few strands of her long hair to float up. From a distance the songs of birds could be heard as they sang a sweet melody to greet the rising sun. Kari took a deep breath, filling her lungs with morning air, still entangled with the soft tunes of singing birds. The air was slightly polluted, but this was her home. Home was unit 1306 of a tall apartment block, located in the Odaiba district of Tokyo. Kari lived on the thirteenth floor, making everything on the ground seem very small. The whole city looked like the little toy towns that could be bought at the shopping center, packed in colourful boxes ready to be taken home for assembling. Kari chuckled at the thought of that before finally snapping out of her daydream and making her way out of her room.  
  
Walking out from her room, Kari heard noises sounding like the clashing of cooking utensils coming from the kitchen. She quietly went to investigate, as it was very unlikely for any of her family members to be awake at this time. Arriving at the kitchen, Kari saw Tai still in his pajamas wearing a pink-checkered apron, happily hymning a little tune in front of the stove. Kari was most surprised to see Tai. Normally, Tai would sleep until at least eleven or twelve in the morning after long nights of playing video games, and on most mornings Tai would always be in a bad mood, as tiredness and fatigue took its toll.  
  
"Tai," Kari spoke out softly.  
  
"Good Morning," Tai turned around and greeted his sister with a big, wide smile. "So, how was your sleep? Still tired?" he continued.  
  
"No, I'm fine now," Kari replied before asking "Tai, what are you doing in mum's pink apron?"  
  
"I'm making you breakfast. Guess what I'm making you?" Tai asked.  
  
This was an easy question to answer. Apart from two-minute noodles, meals that involved the single ingredient of egg were the only dishes on Tai's menu. However, the fact that Tai had gotten up early, just to make Kari breakfast seemed a little suspicious.  
  
"Ummmm, ketchup and eggs?" Kari replied, trying to sound doubtful. Ketchup and eggs was a dish taught by his close friend Matt, while they trapped and traveling through the digital world when Tai was about twelve. As gross as it sounds, Kari had grown to like the taste of this unique dish.  
  
"Well, genius, it looks like you got lucky guessing the right answer this time, but don't expect luck to always to on your side." Tai said in a in sarcastic tone, as he was slightly annoyed that even at seven in the morning he could not escape the fact that although his sister was three years younger than he was, she seemed to be show far more intelligence than he ever did.  
  
".But, I guess I cant blame you for being lucky, after all your brother has the brains, the luck, and the good looks all on his side" Tai added as he laughed hysterically. Whenever Tai felt threatened he would do just about anything to get on Kari's nerves, by annoying Kari and at the same time boasting about himself, he would feel two times the satisfaction.  
  
Tai has gotten way over his head again, thought Kari looking to the ground as she chuckled to his last comment. When Kari lifted her head to face Tai again, she saw him with arms crossed and eyes squinting looking at her in a strange way. He slowly opened his mouth to say something.  
  
"Kari, I just remembered, you have a very busy day ahead. Which means, you shouldn't be standing here talking to me and wasting your time. Instead, you should have used the time you spent talking to me to get dressed and get ready." Tai finally said.  
  
Kari was confused. What Tai had just said did not make sense one bit, as Tai had forgotten to mention his main point. After seeing the confused look on his sister's face, Tai realised what he had left out. Annoyed, Tai narrowed his eyes even more so only a tiny slot was left in between his eyelids and began again.  
  
"Okay, I'll start from the beginning. The digidestined gang have gotten together and organized a picnic to welcome you back to Japan. Everyone, everyone will be there, so you won't want to be late." Tai explained briefly. He had purposely repeated the word 'everyone' in hope to remind Kari of a certain boy with short blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes.  
  
"What time do we have to meet at the picnic?" Kari asked, seemingly unaware of Tai's hint.  
  
"Ten-thirty." Tai replied, annoyed yet again that his plans had failed.  
  
"Ten-thirty? It's only seven-fifteen now, I've still got plenty of time to get ready!" Kari shot back.  
  
"No, you are going to get everything ready by eight so that we can get going by eight-thirty. Now march inside the bathroom and start brushing your teeth!" Tai ordered as he pushed Kari into the bathroom and tightly closed the door behind her. It was clear that Tai was very anxious for Kari to meet everyone.  
  
As soon as the bathroom door closed, Tai raced to the telephone and began to dial a number. Tai could hear the phone ringing on the other end, and it was not until long before someone answered.  
  
"Hello?" A sleepy voiced answered.  
  
"Matt? This is Tai, so have you contacted everyone?" Tai's excited voice asked.  
  
"Of course! Who do you take me for? Anyway, I wonder what everyone's faces will be like after they unexpectedly see Kari." Matt answered, sounding very pleased with himself. "Not to mention what would happen after they find out that they have all been tricked," he added.  
  
Matt and Tai had decided to play a little joke on everyone. Matt had rung all the digidestined telling them that Tai was going to go to France to join Kari, and that he wanted to secretly organize a picnic with the other digidestined to surprise Tai just a few hours before Tai's plane supposedly would leave.  
  
"Yeah," Tai answered slowly, as if in a daydream.  
  
"And TK, I wonder how he would react after seeing Kari. I can just imagine it now, his face would go red, and then, flare up like a tomato!" Matt added.  
  
There was silence at both ends of the phone, as both boys used their best imagination to create the image of TK to fit the description that Matt had just given. After a long silence, soft chuckles could be heard, turning into little giggles, before neither of the boys could hold it any longer and burst out laughing. Just as the laughter was at its peak, Kari opened to the bathroom door and popped her head out.  
  
"Tai, who are you talking to? If you continue to laugh that loud, you'll wake up our parents. They were tired after a long day yesterday, and they deserve a good rest." She said softly.  
  
Tai did not expect Kari to hear his phone call, he thought that he maintained a very quiet voice, not realizing that if he had laughed just a little louder he would not only have woken up his parents but also woken up the whole of Odaiba. Surprised, Tai stood in front of the telephone and looked blankly at Kari.  
  
While on the other end of the phone, Matt was confused about what had just happened and was desperately trying to get through to Tai. "Tai? Tai? You there? Hello?! ANSWER ME!!!" Matt was growing impatient.  
  
After connecting the events that occurred a few minute ago together, Tai snapped back to reality. Still in a state of shock, Tai quickly hung up the phone without thinking. He could still hear Matt's voice shouting angrily for Tai to answer back, but because there was no time to think Tai would just have to explain to his frustrated friend later. After hanging up the phone, Tai's began to search through his brain to find a good explanation that would get him out of this sticky situation. Just as he was about to use one of Joe's old lines about ringing the phone repairman because the phone lines were dead, he realised that he was still tightly clutching the wet paper towels that he had used to wipe his hands after cooking the eggs. An idea came.  
  
"Well," Tai answered as he laughed nervously. "I, I was just cleaning the phone, and was talking to myself. Kari you shouldn't be surprised because that's been something I've been doing for the past nineteen years of my life, and the laughing, well, that was after I realised just exactly how dirty this telephone was. You can practically see all the germs and bacteria present on this phone. In fact, I thought I saw little colonies bacteria moving about in their little towns near the mouthpiece. I must have been hallucinating, and that was why I had been laughing at my stupidity." Tai explained, almost out of breath.  
  
"Sure," Kari said, sounding very uncertain before going back into the bathroom.  
  
As soon as he saw the door to the bathroom close Tai breathed out a sigh of relief. Tai himself was completely lost by what he just said, safely ensuring that Kari was also lost. With Kari confused, she would no longer be able to question him. Tai was actually most afraid that Kari would hear his conversation with Matt about TK, as he knew that Kari regarded TK only as her best friend. Everyone was aware that TK had liked Kari more than just a friend, however Kari was the only one who did not seem to notice. Tai had always believed that Kari was unaware of her own feelings towards TK and that she had mistaken 'like' or even maybe even 'love' for friendship.  
  
Time passed quickly and soon Kari, Tai and Matt had already arrived at the park where everyone was supposed to meet. They had arranged to meet at the far-left corner of the park where the tallest tree stood. Since this was just a month into spring the weather was just perfect. The sun shone warmly onto the park, covered in freshly trimmed grass that was still covered by the morning dew. Trees boarded the edges with flowers of different colours planted in a huge garden located near the center of the park surrounding a small, stone fountain. The park was filled with life, with the singing of birds and buzzing of insects clearly stating this point. Under the warm morning sun, birds playfully splashed around as they used the fountain as their private birdbath. A team of bees were busily collecting honey over the bed of flowers, and a few lonely dragonflies flying high over the trees with their translucent wings reflecting back the light given off by the sun. There was also a children's playground. Equipment painted in bright colours stood over a large area waiting for its little visitors to come.  
  
Once Kari, Tai and Matt came close to the meeting place Matt winked at Tai and walked off ahead. Once arriving at the picnic site, Matt was greeted by Sora, Mimi, Cody, Ken and Joe, obviously coming early, eager to see Tai.  
  
"Matt, hey, I thought you were coming with Tai.Where's Tai?" Mimi asked as she came running up.  
  
"Yeah, he's coming" answered Matt.  
  
"I still can't believe that he is going to leave this country in just a few hours and this will be the last time in at least four years that I will be able to see him." Mimi sighed as she said those words.  
  
Matt smiled as he heard those words. He decided to tell everyone the truth. "Instead of saying farewell to Tai, why don't you guys go welcome Kari back." Matt suggested as he studied the look on Mimi's face.  
  
From a distance, the gang could see Tai carrying a small picnic hamper walking slowly with a girl with long brown hair, who resembled Kari. Mimi had gotten all depressed ever since the day when she received the phone call from Matt, informing her with the news that Tai was leaving for France. Now, after she saw Tai walking with Kari she figured out that she had been tricked. Insensitive, Tai and Matt are completely insensitive thought Mimi. She had been unable to concentrate for days, and now Matt had just revealed that it had all been a trick, to fool her just for fun. She had wasted her emotions on an insensitive guy who only cared about himself and she was not going to let him get away with it. With Matt being the closest to her, she packed together all her anger and threw a 'special Mimi punch' straight at him, causing Matt to loose his balance and fall back. Mimi then ran a few meters to get to Tai, also throwing him a punch, before turning to Kari and embracing her with a heartfelt hug. On the bright side, Kari's back Mimi thought as tears flowed from her eyes. Tai and Matt had been expecting this from Mimi, as this was not the first time they played a trick on her. Both boys looked at each other then fell back to the ground laughing.  
  
Not before long Davis, Izzy and Yolie arrived one after each other. They were all shocked to see Kari again, however none of them caused as much commotion as Mimi had done. The gang arranged themselves into a big circle, fighting over the spots closest to Kari. Kari's heart warmed up as she looked around the circle. She carefully scanned past every face. Mimi and Sora sat closely together, as they were the best of friends. Both girls had matured over the years, however still showing energetic bursts of energy. Joe and Izzy both did not show much signs of change, however Kari was sure that the amount of knowledge cramped into Izzy's brain would have increased several times by now. Joe was still as careful as ever, even on this picnic, he still carried his trusty friend; the first aid kit. Cody, on the other hand changed dramatically since Kari last saw him. He had grown into a tall young boy. He had left his hair a little longer with a few strands brushing against his emerald green eyes. Davis still looked the same, and still wore Tai's old goggles on his head. He was still very loud, and still had an obnoxious personality. Lastly Kari's eye's rested upon Ken and Yolie. Ken and Yolie sat closely together, with their actions proving that they were more than friends. Kari smiled at this sight.  
  
Although happy to see her friends again, Kari had not yet seen the face she missed the most. Half an hour passed, unable to hold herself much longer, Kari turned to Matt.  
  
"Matt," Kari spoke with a slight pause, " Where's TK?" She asked, with a hint of embarrassment present in her tone.  
  
Matt who was also very worried about his brother went into a panic.  
  
"I go through all this trouble to create a perfect opportunity for you and Kari, and what do you do? You leave me in the cold by not turning up." Matt mumbled under his breath.  
  
Matt stood up and desperately scanned around the whole park. Just when he was going to explode with frustration, his eyes fixed upon a familiar figure running in a quick pace towards the group. As the figure moved closer, it began to show itself to be a tall boy with short blond hair. It was TK. Kari immediately jumped up as a sudden rush of excitement boiled up inside of her.  
  
TK and Kari had grown to be inseparable ever since their first adventure in the Digital World. They used to share every moment of happiness, pain and heartbreak with each other. They were the best of friends and nothing was ever powerful enough to break that bond. It was the happiest day of Kari's life when she won a scholarship to study photography in France two years ago. Although saddened by the fact that Kari was leaving, TK felt a deep feeling of happiness as his best friend was finally able to achieve her dreams. However, this dream did come at a cost. Oozulongmon was right, without light, there will be no hope.  
  
Eager to see TK after two long years apart, Kari ran up to greet him. Both figures stopped and stood still, as they positioned themselves face to face with each other. A small gust of wind swept past the two elegant statues as it blew strands of Kari's long hair away from the direction of the sun. The TK that stood before Kari was different from the one still trapped in her memory. TK was wearing a loose T-shirt with baggy shorts and a pair of white joggers on his feet. On his right shoulder he carried a heavy sports bag, which weighed down his entire shoulder. The white hat that he loved so much and wore everywhere since he was twelve was nowhere to be seen. His blond hair was still left in the same style with a few strands covering his eyes. It was messy, but not out of control. His sapphire blue eyes still looked so deep and so calm.  
  
Happiness engulfed Kari's heart, unable to hold herself back; she leaped onto TK, embracing him tightly. Leaning her head on TK's shoulders, Kari then felt a pair of strong arms wrapping themselves around her waist, pulling her closer. Kari was curled up inside TK's embrace, just like old times.  
  
"You're finally back." TK's voice was soft, slightly trembling.  
  
"Yeah, surprised?" Kari asked with as she pulled away from TK realizing that streams of tears were leaking from her eyes. Embarrassed, Kari began to furiously wipe away her tears.  
  
TK gave out a small laugh. TK placed his palm onto Kari's cheek, brushing away the tears still left on Kari's face gently with his fingers.  
  
"Its only been two years and nine months, did you really miss me that much?" TK asked with a smirk on his face.  
  
"In your dreams Mr. Takaishi. My tears only came out because you stupidly poked my fringe into my eyes." Kari snapped back, pushing TK's hand away from her face.  
  
"Yeah, whatever." TK said with a smile. "Come on, let's go and sit down with the group, my bag is killing me." Taking Kari's hand in his, TK lead her to the group.  
  
An awkward moment arose on the picnic blanket as everyone focused their eyes onto TK and Kari. Except for Matt and Tai whose faint giggles filled the air, the rest of the group sat in dead silence.  
  
"So, Kari, what brought you back to Japan?" Yolie finally said, trying to make conversation.  
  
"Oh.I.Yeah, its for a major project, which will count towards next year's final mark when I graduate. We can choose to go anywhere in the world to take photos that capture the beauty of that particular country. As we were able to go anywhere in the world, I thought I might as well visit home. I'm here for a month, but the thing is, I have to go to school here." Kari said while still in her own thoughts.  
  
" .and you thought you were able miss school for an entire month. Yeah, you wish," Yolie teased.  
  
"TK! Why were you so late today? You got everyone worried," Matt spoke in a loud voice, loud enough to catch everyone's attention.  
  
"Sorry, I was at basketball practice," TK apologized  
  
"Ah, did I forget to mention that my little TK has grown up so fast. Right now, he is the star player and captain of his school's basketball team." Matt boasted as he slapped TK across the back. "He took up basketball soon after Kari left. His even got a fan club now. Lots of girls are chasing after him, but I know there is only space for one girl in TK's heart. Right TK?" Matt spoke with a grin.  
  
"Yeah, it's this real cutie. What was her name again? Karina! That's right its Karina." Yolie blurted out with a wide smile on her face.  
  
"Ka, Ka, Karina?!" Tai and Davis shouted out at the same time. It was true that as much as Davis looked like Tai, their brains also seemed to function in the same pattern.  
  
Silence filled the air for the second time that day, with everyone's attention focused onto Yolie.  
  
"Oops, me and my big mouth. Stupid Yolie!" Yolie said apologetically before slapping herself hard on the head. Yolie then turned to face TK with an expression begging for forgiveness.  
  
"It's alright Yolie, everyone's is going to find out sooner or later," TK paused for a few seconds before continuing. "The fact that we are going out wasn't meant to be a secret, it's just that I haven't found the right time to tell you guys. Like Yolie already said, her name is Karina. We go to the same school and,"  
  
TK's voice seemed to go in one ear, then come out through the other. Only the first part of his explanation made sense to Kari, the rest was incomprehensible, as if spoken in a foreign language. The warmth and happiness of TK's hug seemed to have already left Kari's body, together taking away all her senses, leaving behind an empty shell.  
  
The rest of the weekend passed in a flash and soon the first day of school had arrived for Kari. The Kamiya household was a chaotic place in the mornings. Angry screams could be heard around the house as everyone rushed to complete their morning routines. Kari rushed to make herself neat and presentable for her first day. Tai rushed to get dressed as he prayed that he will make it in time to hear his university lecture. He had failed to do so for the whole of last week. Mr. Kamiya rushed around to get ready for work as Mrs. Kamiya rushed to make the family breakfast so that the maniacs could leave the house.  
  
"Bye!" Tai screamed with a piece of toast in his mouth. He rushed out only to collide with Yolie at the door.  
  
Yolie had decided to show Kari around the school before classes began. Yolie wanted to show Kari everything in the school, everything, including who the 'cute boys' were. The walk to school seemed short with Yolie as company. The loud voice, constant talking and hysterical jokes were what Kari admired most about Yolie. Kari herself was never able to express her feelings; she would keep everything bottled up inside of her. Kari knew that it was only a matter of time when little box hidden deep inside of her, where she bottled up all her emotions would one day burst as it becomes filled to its limit. She was secretly hoping for that day to arrive, as she longed for the feeling easiness and freedom.  
  
Kari's eyes sparkled with amazement as she arrived before the school gate. Although not as grand as her college in France, but this school gave out a welcoming feeling. Beyond the school gate stood four great trees. They were planted in rows of two on each side of the gate leaving a shady pathway in the middle, which lead to the main building. All the buildings of the school were painted white, and most of them were constructed three stories high. They arranged themselves neatly around a massive soccer ground that was surrounded by a black running track. Kari still looking with amazement was completely lost in her own world. She was only dragged out from her fantasies by the high-pitched tone of Yolie's screams.  
  
"TK! TK! Over here!" Yolie screamed as she signaled for TK to join them.  
  
TK slowly made his way to join the group and positioned himself opposite Kari and Yolie.  
  
"Hi," TK said while still looking to the ground. "Kari, I rang your house a couple of times during the weekend, but your parents told me that you weren't feeling well. Are you alright?"  
  
Even before Kari had a chance to reply a pair of hands suddenly grabbed TK from behind, hugging him tightly. A young girl appeared from behind TK. The young girl, still hugging securely onto TK's right arm made Kari's eyes sparkle for the second time this morning. She had jet-black hair that draped down past her waist. She had tied it back loosely into two pigtails, with a few stands of loose hair flowing at the side of her face. She also left a fringe, but it was brushed all onto one side. Her eyes were a mixture of blue and grey. She seemed small standing next to TK as she was only up to his shoulders. Her sweetness and innocence was only further emphasized by her school uniform, which made her look like a cute doll.  
  
"Karina, I would like you to meet my best friend Kari." TK said, introducing his two friends.  
  
Karina turned to Kari with a startled look. "So this is the Kari I've been hearing so much about. It's so nice to be able to meet you. I'm Karina, TK's girlfriend." Karina said in an excited and happy tone.  
  
"It's so nice to meet you too. Lucky TK, I don't know what he has done to deserve such a cute girlfriend," Kari said with a smile.  
  
A wide grin appeared on Karina's face. Not knowing how to reply she looked to the ground blushing. Another awkward moment passed as silence engulfed the atmosphere. Kari had unknowingly made eye contact with TK and found herself to be fully absorbed by his gaze. A loud cough by Yolie was just what Kari needed to snap herself out of her thoughts.  
  
"I better go now, Yolie promised me that she'll show me around the school. If I don't hold on to her while I still can, I may never find her again." Kari said breaking the silence. " I'll probably loose her to her habit of running around the school tracking down and stalking Ken." Kari continued in a smaller voice before running off into the school grounds.  
  
"Hey! You're not meant to be telling the whole world my secret!" Yolie screamed out, chasing after Kari.  
  
Just as Kari was about to reach the gate, a voice was calling for her from behind.  
  
"Kari, how about I walk you home his afternoon? I'll meet you here after school?" TK yelled to Kari's direction.  
  
Kari stopped and turned around to face herself with TK. "It's okay, I'm fine to walk by myself." Kari yelled back, gave a little wave before turning around and running off beyond the gate.  
  
Kari ran inside the school as quickly as she could, trying to escape the awkwardness that was now present between TK and herself. An emotion unknown to Kari was beginning to fill Kari's thoughts and take control of her body. She did not want to face TK, speak to him or even hear his name. She wanted to run, run as far away from TK as possible. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two  
  
Raindrops from the clouds above dived towards the earth and splashed violently onto the ground. Striking bolts of lightning created dragon-like patterns in the sky with the roar of thunder filling the air. TK was one of the few unlucky souls still forced to travel under such brutal conditions. Holding an umbrella in one hand and two grocery bags in the other, TK hurried along the dark and empty street, running as fast as his tired legs would take him.  
  
After twenty minutes of running through howling wind and pelting rain TK finally arrived before his apartment unit. His cold hand, covered in raindrops slowly turned the key, unlocking the door to reveal the warmth of his home. TK unloaded his baggage onto the floor as he untied his shoes. Raindrops silently slid down from the umbrella and grocery bags, creating little puddles of water on the carpet. Lucky mum isn't here, or else she'll kill me, TK thought to himself. Unfortunately, TK thought too soon.  
  
"TK? Is that you?" TK's mother appeared, coming out from the kitchen.  
  
Shocked to find her at home TK dived down to the floor, picked up the dripping wet umbrella and grocery bags before springing back up with an awkward smile on his face.  
  
"Mum, aren't you meant to be on assignment right about now?!"  
  
"I was, but it was canceled at the last moment because my interviewee came down with the flu." TK's mother replied. " So I thought that since for once I'm at home during dinner time, I'd cook you dinner for a change. So what do you think?" She continued  
  
Great! You haven't cooked a proper meal in three years, and the last time you tried to cook you nearly burnt down the kitchen, TK thought to himself. "Great! Haven't tasted your cooking in a long time, can't wait to try it again!" TK replied enthusiastically, not exactly telling the truth.  
  
"So. what did you buy today?" TK's mother asked  
  
"Just some vegetables, a few packets of instant noodles and tomorrow's breakfast" TK replied before handing the groceries to his mother  
  
"Great, I'll use these ingredients and a few extras that I can find in the kitchen to cook up my masterpiece." TK's mother said happily before walking into the kitchen.  
  
After drying off the umbrella, TK switched on the television and began flicking through the channels.  
  
"TK, I'd rather you do something more productive, like cleaning your room while waiting for dinner." TK's mother's voice leaked through the kitchen.  
  
"I would, but I'm too tired."  
  
"Oh really?" TK's mother appeared from the kitchen again. This time the knife that she was using to chop the vegetables was present in her hand. TK's mother tightened her grip on the handle. A few rays of light traveled down the blade, before reflecting off at the tip.  
  
"Okay, I've recovered. Time to clean my room" TK shouted and ran straight into his room, never daring to look back.  
  
Scary woman, TK thought as he walked up to his bedroom door. A damp smell attacked TK's senses as soon as the door opened, and after turning on the light TK was faced with the full extent of his problem. His room was a mess. Dirty clothes covered the floor and every other surface in the room. The clothes lay in a mess above his books on the table and hung off his chair and bookcase. Basketball magazines were piled on his bedside table, with a few of them making their way into TK's tangled blankets. The closet door was jammed, as it had been forcibly closed after being filled above its limit. TK's whole room was completely hidden under the mess he had personally created and nurtured. TK truly liked his mess, it gave him a feeling of warmth and comfort that nothing else could possibly match. However, he was quite certain that if the mess did not disappear by tonight, Takeru Takaishi would.  
  
TK looked around the room, searching for the best place to begin. Maybe under the bed? Maybe I'll find something alive under there, TK thought as he reluctantly made his way through all the clothes to reach the bed. Among the piles of ruffled clothes, a half deflated basketball, a few boxes of different shapes and sizes were also pulled out from under his bed. TK took the lid off the biggest boxes, only to find them containing his childhood toys. Digging through the boxes, in hope of finding a toy that will once again amuse him, a small wooden box caught TK's eye. The box was a light shade of brown and had patterns of wild flowers carved onto the surface. Taking the box into his hands, TK gently flipped open the lid. A pile of old photos lay inside; they were the photos of the old digidestined days. TK took the photos out of the box and examined each one carefully. TK looked past every face; Davis, Yolie, Cody, himself, and, Kari. Time has faded the colours on most of the photos, but could not dull out the children's smiles. A rush of memories flooded back into TK's mind, reminding him of the happiness and bliss that has now vanished from his present life. A little smile appeared on TK's face as he slowly flipped through the photos, reliving the memories. Finally, TK got to the last photo. This photo made TK's heart sink and produced an image that will forever be imprinted into his mind. The photo was one he and Kari had taken alone, on a sandy beach just a few months before Kari left for France. TK was standing behind Kari, with his hands firmly wrapped around her waist. Her hands were placed on top of TK's, their fingers intertwined. Their toes were buried into the sand, with the waves crashing at their feet. TK lifted his trembling hands onto the photo and gently stroked past Kari's face.  
  
"We've all changed now." TK mumbled before giving out a heavy sigh.  
  
Looking at the photos brought in emotions of loss and despair. Disliking these depressing feelings, TK decided to pack away the photos. Opening the lid again, TK noticed the presence of a shiny red hair clip at the bottom of the box. I searched all over town for you, but never had the chance to give you to her. I wonder if she still wants you, TK thought before taking the clip into his own hands and slipping it into the pocket of his school pants.  
  
The sound of the whistle screeched through the air, piercing TK's ear.  
  
"Okay kids, good work. There only a week till your big match, so I've organized a few extra training sessions. I want you all back here next week, Monday morning, 6:00am sharp." The coach yelled, indicating that today's training session had ended.  
  
TK looked at the clock placed high up on the wall of the gym. Eight- thirty, it read, eight-thirty at night it was. TK's legs and arms were all aching from the intensive training and practice that their coach had put them through. He could hear the voice of his coach still ringing in his mind "the next match is very important, the school's reputation lies in your hands". TK's jersey was drenched in sweat and his head was feeling a little heavy. All he could think of was going home, taking a long, hot shower and going straight to bed. Damn, I forgot, TK thought, hitting himself hard on the head, Karina asked me out to have dinner with her tonight after basketball training.  
  
TK slowly made his way into the locker room, where he grabbed his crinkled school uniform from out of his locker and got ready to get changed. TK untangled his school pants from his school shirt, and tried in vain attempts to smooth out the creases on his pants. Five minutes later, the creases were still there, but his hand felt sore was had turned into an unnatural shade of red. TK gave up. Suddenly, he remembered he was still carrying the red hair clip in his pocket. He felt his inside his pocket just to be sure that the clip was still there, it wasn't. He reached inside the other pocket; it too was empty. Worried, he frantically searched through his bag, before getting frustrated and tipping all of its contents onto to floor. He kneeled on the cold floor rummaging through his belongs, but failed to find his clip. TK searched in his locker, felt every pocket on his uniform, before scavenging the whole floor of the gym and the locker room. Still, the clip was nowhere in sight.  
  
"TK, what are you doing? You look really distressed." A voice called from behind.  
  
TK turned to see his teammate, a boy in jersey number five.  
  
"A clip, you wouldn't have seen a shiny red clip lying around anywhere would you?" TK asked, not expecting a positive answer.  
  
"Yes, I did, well we did; me and Steven. We saw it fall from your pocket when you walked in. We were going to give it to you after our training session was over, but then we saw Karina, so we gave it to her instead. I mean thinking logically, what you be doing with a hair clip if it didn't belong to your girlfriend?" the boy explained.  
  
"You gave it to Karina?! Where's Karina?" TK screamed out as he shook the boy violently.  
  
"Calm down! She's waiting for you outside the gym."  
  
TK immediately let go of the clearly shaken boy and ran towards the gymnasium door. He pushed open the heavy glass door to find Karina sitting on a bench, directly opposite him.  
  
"What took you so long? And you're still not changed!" Karina said in a disappointed voice as TK ran up to her. "Anyway, so how do I look?" She asked.  
  
Like usual, Karina's fringe was brushed to one side. However today, it was held in place with a red clip.  
  
"The clip, can I have it back?" TK said in an annoyed voice.  
  
"What? First you give me something and then now you want it back? " Karina replied in a cheeky tone.  
  
"Karina, I'm serious. Give it back"  
  
"Sorry Mr. Takaishi, I not gonna give it back. I really like it and I'm gonna keep it."  
  
"Look Karina, the clip was never intended for you. It doesn't belong to you." TK shouted out before ripping through Karina's hair with his fingers and forcefully removing the clip.  
  
Karina's eyes swelled red. Tears streamed down from her eyes and rolled down her face. Her hands were gripping to her fringe, where the clip had been pinned to.  
  
"Why are you so angry? It's just a clip!" Karina screamed back in a distraught voice. "We've been going out for nearly seven months and I'm not even worth more than a clip to you?" Karina eyes were filled with confusion and disbelief. She gave TK a hard, long stare before turning her back and running into the darkness, away from TK.  
  
Karina's right, it's just a clip, but if it's just a clip then why did I feel so frightened when I lost it? TK asked himself over and over again as he walked through the park on his way back home. The sky had already darkened with the moon and the stars already hanging themselves onto the night sky. TK did not want to return home, to face his mother with a frowning face. By walking around a small pond at the far end of the park he would be taking the long way home. The pond was especially peaceful at night. Slight ripples were present on the surface of the water created by the cool breezes of the night air. The gentle breezes swept past TK's face, calming his soul and taking away all of his problems for a split second. TK stopped and looked over the pond to take in the tranquility of the atmosphere. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. The night air traveled through his body, tickling his sensations. Opening his eyes again TK noticed a small figure sitting at the edge of the pond about a not far from him. He squinted his eyes as he walked closer. The figure was Kari.  
  
"Kari, would you mind if I sat down here with you?" TK said as he sat down onto the grass next to Kari.  
  
"Hey, I never said you could sit down!" Kari replied in a joking tone. "Anyway, I was just about to go. I'll see you at school next week". Kari got up, dusted off the grass of her pants and was ready to go.  
  
"You always do this." TK sounded slightly annoyed.  
  
"I always do what?" Kari's asked back.  
  
"You've been in Japan for three weeks already and I've never gotten a chance to even talk to you. Whenever we meet, I'd say 'hi' and you're always the one to reply with a 'bye'. Ever since the picnic, you appear to be somewhat distant from me."  
  
Kari thought for a moment before beginning. "I, I just don't want, I just don't want to get in the way between you and Karina." Kari stumbled as she spoke her sentence. Her face was looking to the ground, her hands tightly clasped together.  
  
"What has our relationship got anything to do with Karina!" TK questioned as he lifted himself up from the ground. He wanted to hear an explanation form Kari, after being confused and ignored for three weeks he wanted a reason, any reason.  
  
"Huh?" Kari was lost for words. She didn't know why, she didn't even understand her own feelings. All she could come up with for now was a 'huh?'. "I don't know. I don't know." Her voice was shaking. Her hands her tightly clutching her head, her fingers digging into her skull. Confused and angry that she needed someone else to confront her with her problems before she realized them herself. Just when Kari felt herself about to explode, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders, dragging her into the warmness of TK's chest.  
  
"I'm sorry. Pretend I never said anything." TK's voice was soft.  
  
TK closed his eyes and slowly ran his fingers through Kari's hair. Kari found it hard to pull away from TK's warm embrace. She laid her head onto TK's chest. She could hear the sound of his beating heart pounding against her ear. Kari took a deep breath and without thinking she gently wrapped her arms around TK's waist. She seemed to have calmed down now. The pair must have stayed in this position for quite some time, enjoying each others silent company.  
  
"Oh what a cute couple they make! And the boy is so cute! She's so lucky to have such a cute boyfriend." A young girl said to her group of friends as they walked past TK and Kari.  
  
Couple? Boyfriend? These words echoed in Kari's mind. She broke free of TK's embrace and stared blankly at TK.  
  
"It's getting late, I'd better go." Kari forced out before running away form the pond and towards the grassy fields of the park, never looking back.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so." TK replied, looking to the direction in which Kari had run to. His heart was beating fast and his whole body felt as if it was going to melt. He could still smell the sweet scent of strawberries left by Kari on his crinkled school shirt. TK had never felt this way before. When he took Kari into his arms, time seemed to have stood still. It was just him and Kari, nothing else mattered anymore.  
  
It was Saturday morning, ten forty-five. Dark clouds had covered the entire sky, blocking away all the rays from the sun. TK walked into his room and flung himself onto his bed. Lying on his back TK stretched out his arms, leaving his legs and feet to dangle from the bed. He had just come back from Karina's house. TK had not slept for the whole of last night. Kari had completely taken control of his soul. TK lay in bed last night, unable to think of anything else but Kari. His heart too was entirely full of Kari, not just for last night, but ever since his first adventure to the digital world. TK finally knew the reason why he could not let anyone into his heart and why during the junior years of his life he would feel funny whenever Kari went out on a date. Although he caused Karina to shed more tears, but he felt as if a heavy load had been taken off of him. He was not going to let his happiness just slip through his fingers again.  
  
"Hello, this Tai speaking." A voice answered over the phone.  
  
"Tai? This is TK, may I speak to Kari?" TK asked.  
  
"Didn't you know, Kari already left for France!" Tai screamed into the other end.  
  
"What? When? I really need to talk to her!" TK shouted back  
  
"We just came back from the airport. Her planes leaves at eleven forty- five, you might be able to still catch her."  
  
"Okay, thanks" TK said as he hung up. He looked at the time, exactly eleven. Okay I still have time. He grabbed the house keys, his wallet and ran out the door.  
  
It was already eleven thirty when TK arrived at the airport. A traffic jam kindly held him up on the road. TK rushed to the information desk located near the entrance of the airport.  
  
"Can you check which terminal a flight to France at eleven forty-five will depart from?" TK asked, nearly out of breath.  
  
"Will you hold on for a minute, I'll just check for you." The receptionist said as she typed away on the computer. "I'm sorry sir, the plane is just preparing to take off. I'm afraid you're too late"  
  
Reluctantly getting off the taxi, TK slowly walked towards his apartment block. It had just begun to rain. The gentle raindrops fell towards TK, damping his hair and his clothes. TK had just spent the last few hours wondering mindlessly around the city. He didn't know where he was going, nor what he was doing. Both his heart and his soul were on a plane flying to France at this particular moment. Just walking into the main gate of his apartment block, TK noticed a young girl sitting on a large suitcase inside the main hall, near the lifts. The girl had short brown hair, which was slightly longer at the sides. Could it be? TK thought. He stood under the rain, afraid to move. He was scared that if he moved any closer, he would find out that the girl was not Kari. At least now he could still hold a little hope. The girl turned around her head, looking directly at TK. She stood up and started running his way.  
  
TK couldn't believe his eyes, maybe he was dreaming, but Kari was now standing right before his eyes. TK had to pinch himself just to be sure that he hadn't fainted on the street and was now hallucinating an image of Kari. His pinches hurt, he wasn't dreaming.  
  
"Kari? Is that really you?" TK asked just to make sure.  
  
"Well, how many Kari Kamiyas do you know on this Earth?" Kari asked sarcastically.  
  
"Then I'm afraid to tell you Miss Kamiya, your plane took off five hours ago."  
  
"Yeah, I realized that." Kari replied  
  
The two of them paused for a while, before TK resumed their conversation. "You cut your hair, it's just like how it was before you left for France," TK said as he softened his tone.  
  
"Yeah, I was kind of thinking of going back to the beginning, our beginning" Kari followed on.  
  
TK didn't know what do say next, so he decided to let Kari continue.  
  
"Yesterday night at the park, remember you asked me why I was avoiding you? And remember that I didn't have an answer? Well I do now. I like you TK, I really like you." Kari stopped for a moment. Kari stopped to give TK a chance to speak, to stop her or to reject her. TK remained silent, so Kari continued. "I know that you only see me as a friend, but I have to tell you this so please let me finish first. Ever since our adventure in the digital world you have looked after me, and protected me. Maybe it was since then, I don't know, I was too small to tell then. But now, even in the real world you still continue to care for me, I have unconsciously grown to be attached to you. I was taken over by my fear of loosing you and breaking the bond we have shared for so long. It was this fear that caused me to conceal my true feeling for you. I have done such a good job that I was totally unaware of those feelings myself. Although still holding this fear at this very moment, but I cant bear the burden of holding this secret to myself anymore. I have to tell you before I leave for France."  
  
"So what happens after you get to France?" TK asked, wanting to know what Kari was thinking.  
  
"Slowly fade away from your life."  
  
"What if I refuse to let you fade from my life?" TK asked in a soft tone.  
  
Kari was stunned. She would never have thought that she would hear that from TK. Instead she was ready for a rejection speech, something along the lines of 'I have always seen you as a sister'.  
  
"Your eyes are too beautiful to be hidden away under a fringe." TK said as he walked closer to Kari. He reached in his pocket to take out a shiny red clip. "Just before you left for France you were crying over my shoulder, telling me that you had lost your clip. You told me how much that clip meant to you, as it was given to you by your grandmother. I couldn't bear to see you so miserable, so the next day I traveled through the city trying to find a similar clip. I took me the whole day to find this," He held the clip up in front of Kari's eyes. "I never had the chance to give it to you.although it's not exactly the original, but will you take it instead?"  
  
"Although is not the original, but it bears a completely different meaning." A smile appeared on Kari's face. "Thank you TK, it means a lot to me".  
  
TK again inched closer to Kari. His trembling hands brushed Kari's fringe to one side, before clipping it down with the clip. Her eyes were now completely revealed. TK slid his fingers through Kari's hair before his hands cupped themselves onto her cheeks. TK stared into her auburn eyes; the feeling of warmth ran through his body. He lowered his head and gently kissed Kari on the forehead.  
  
"Kari, I don't want to loose you. Over the years you have gradually taken over my heart. Like Matt had said, there has always only been one person in my heart, and that person is you. Yesterday night, after the hug, my whole body felt weak. For the few minutes when you were in my arms I felt that all of my problems seemed to have faded and that you were the only thing that mattered. I realized something. Maybe you might think that I'm still to young to know, but I know. It's love, I love you Kari." TK's voice faded. He felt a little embarrassed by the things he had just said, but he was also glad, happy that he had finally told Kari his feelings.  
  
"What about Karina then?" Kari asked, still looking into TK's eyes.  
  
"I told her as soon as I realized these feelings. She cried a little, but she seemed to understand how I felt. She offered us her best wishes," TK replied. " Now it's up to you to decide whether I still have a chance or not."  
  
The rain was now falling heavier. The sound of raindrops crashing into the ground filled the air, but failed to disturb TK and Kari who were now in a world of their own. Kari gave out a small smile. Her eyes were now once again beginning to water. Tears flowed from her eyes, blended with the raindrops before rolling down her face. Kari made no attempt to wipe them away this time. She stared deep into TK's eyes, completely absorbed in her world of happiness.  
  
Still cupping Kari's cheeks in his hands, TK lifted her head a little higher. His face was moving closer and closer to Kari's. So close, he was now able feel the rhythm of Kari's breathing. Kari slowly closed her eyes as their lips touched, savoring the moment. The tenderness and softness of Kari's lips made TK's heart flutter and his knees feel weak. He felt as if his whole body was going to melt, but somehow he managed to stay upright.  
  
Some people spend their whole lives searching for happiness. As for TK and Kari, their happiness will never die but will continue to grow as the days go by. Loves has dissolved two spirits into one single unity, eternally bonding the powers of light and hope. TK and Kari were now together, forever. 


End file.
